Live Review: Grace Sanders, Noah Dillon, Kallan Phillips, Tanaya Harper

Tanaya Harper warmed up the audience with her beautifully haunting voice and style reminiscent of '90s greats, such as The Cranberries. Even though she was the only solo act of the night, Harper had a hypnotic stage presence.

Kallan Phillips delivered fresh sounds off his newly released EP Spat, including Interlude. The band’s use of two keyboards and a broad range of percussion created unique and funky arrangements.

Alt-rock singer-songwriter Noah Dillon and his five-piece band played songs they’ve become known for on triple j Unearthed, including newly released single, You Did It To Yourself. Although a decent act in his own right, he didn’t suit the line-up and as a result his performance among the rest sounded like fingernails on a chalkboard. 

The main act of the night, Grace Sanders, delivered on her promise of an entertaining and audiovisually stimulating night. The spunky singer played a mix of old and new tracks, including Flow Like Water and Impress Me, with the music videos projected onto the screen behind her. Sanders gave such a lively performance, one couldn’t help but wonder where she stores so much infectious energy. It was also her first time performing with a band, comprised of talented young musicians Kallan Phillips (lead guitar), Norberto Flamenco (keys), Imogen Thompson (percussion) and Ryan Daunt (drums). Her acoustic rendition of Small left the audience literally speechless and there was barely any sound or movement in the room for the duration of the song. Everyone’s thoughts in that moment were summed up perfectly by one audience member: “Fuck, that touched my heartstrings.” The debut screening of new single clip I Can’t Win was greeted with enthusiastic applause as Sanders sang in a wedding dress, mirroring her character in the music video. During her encore, she wowed everyone present with her impressive range and playful high notes.

The video launch of I Can’t Win was truly a celebration of the Perth arts industry and then DJ Jamilla kept everyone dancing throughout the night with funky R&B and old school tunes. Sanders’ natural warmth ensured that everyone in the audience felt welcomed and appreciated and her humility just added to her charm. Perth - and the world - better be ready for what this firecracker has next in store.